December 01, 2015
The phrase “metallic glass” may sound like an oxymoron, but the substance is very real, though underutilized.
That could soon change.
Research being done by professors like UT’s Takeshi Egami has shown the potential of metallic glass, but it took a recent move to the substance by a tech heavyweight to really open up its potential.
“It’s been around and available for quite some time, but the cost has remained fairly prohibitive because it hasn’t been produced in any significant amount,” said Egami, a UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distinguished Scientist and professor of materials science and engineering. “Then, fairly recently, Apple decided to invest in it, which will increase the amount of it available and help bring the price down.”
The substance is set to play a much more critical role in technology ranging from iPhones to watches in the next few years.
Its strength, formability, and durability make it ideal for use as casing for phones, tablets, or pretty much any portable device.
“If you drop a phone right now it will likely get bent or even shatter, but if it’s made out of metallic glass, the likelihood of that happening is greatly reduced,” said Egami. “The Omega watch company is beginning to use it for that same reason, but on a $6,500 watch.”
Egami—who is director emeritus of the UT-ORNL Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences—pointed out that while the costs are still high, parallels can be drawn with graphite-based fibers, another substance that was once too pricey for widespread use.
Read more at news.utk.edu.